Hick the Do-Gooder Takes a Night Off

Backroads is in the midst of a heat wave. Mid 90s every day. It is draining on Hick, even when he's at his SUS2.5 on the weekends, not doing much physical exertion. Sunday afternoon, Hick said he would be home early.

"Running by This Buddy's house then coming home wore out probably 4:30"

Then another text at 4:26.

"I went to This Buddy's house and he doesn't have any water. So I had to come back to town to get apart.So I'll be working as well for a little while"

That meant Hick was working on the WELL at This Buddy's house. At least he's out of the hospital, and has a new washer. But now no water. Hick didn't get home until after 6:30. He said he had fixed the well a while back, but the box for it was on the ground the way This Buddy had it, and maybe the recent rains had messed with it. Sounds funny to me because we've been bone dry for about a week now, but I'm not a mechanic or even a handyman.

Anyhoo... Hick said the problem was that the capacitor. Heh, heh. You know you're thinking of the flex capacitor in Back to the Future! Hick bought a new one for $70 and put it in. This Buddy kept trying to pay him for it, but Hick said not to worry, he knows the guy is having a tough time right now after being in the hospital, buying a washer, and also having a bad motor installed in his truck.

Monday, Hick came home at noon to get the lawnmower. Went back to town and mowed three yards. He was hot and worn out when he got home, again at 6:30, having waited to meet a guy who was buying something from him.

"I'm wore out. Gonna take a shower."

I heard Hick's phone ringing while he was in the shower. After he was out, and had sat down with a cold bacon sandwich, I heard it again.

"Don't you hear your phone?"

"No. I heard it when I was in the shower. I checked when I got out, and it was This Buddy. I called him back, and he said his well ain't workin' again. I told him I was sorry, and that I could check it in the morning."

"Well, your phone is still ringing. Too bad about the well. Do they have ANY water? To drink? It's so hot."

"Yeah, they have bottled water. Good thing it ain't their air conditioner that broke. I'm not getting out again tonight. I'll look at it in the morning. I guess I'll go check my phone."

Hick went out on the front porch with his phone, in just his tighty-whities. You can do that out here in the country without somebody calling the police. Hick was gone for a while.

"Who was that?"

"It was This Buddy. The son-in-law is there working on the well. That capacitor blew out. He's taking it back to exchange it for a new one."

"Can he do that? Do they have the receipt?"

"No. It's out in my truck. But I took a picture and sent it to This Buddy's wife, so they had it to exchange the capacitor. I hope that's all it needs, but I won't guarantee it. It might work just fine, or it might blow out again if there's something else wrong."

It's a wonder the world can keep on turning when Hick takes a night off.